Precision Optical Fabrication Engineer

University of Arizona; Tucson (AZ); On-site; USD 76,000 - 98,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full benefits

Tuition reduction

Retirement plans

Job summary

The University of Arizona is seeking a Research Fabrication Engineer to lead design, development, optimization, and validation of precision fabrication processes for mechanical and optical components used in research instrumentation and optical systems.

This role applies engineering principles to translate requirements into manufacturable designs, develops CNC and diamond-turning strategies, and establishes process parameters with stringent part quality criteria.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 3 years of relevant CNC machining, diamond turning, precision fabrication, or op-to-mechanical design experience.
• Hands-on work with CNC and diamond-turning equipment.

Responsibilities

• Develop, optimize, and validate CNC machining and diamond-turning processes for precision optical and opto-mechanical components.
• Develop and review machining workflows, toolpaths, G-code, workholding approaches, tool offsets, and fabrication setups for CNC and diamond-turning equipment.
• Evaluate fabricated components using dimensional inspection, optical metrology, surface-quality assessment, and comparison to drawings and specs.
• Collaborate with faculty, researchers, students, and staff to define fabrication requirements and provide technical guidance on precision fabrication methods.

Skills

CNC machining

Diamond turning

Opto-mechanical design

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field

Tools

SolidWorks

Job description

The University of Arizona is seeking a Research Fabrication Engineer to lead design, development, optimization, and validation of precision fabrication processes for mechanical and optical components used in research instrumentation and optical systems.

This role applies engineering principles to translate requirements into manufacturable designs, develops CNC and diamond-turning strategies, and establishes process parameters with stringent part quality criteria.